Coal mining machine



- lune 2,' 1931. J, w. McPHERsQN 1,808,053

COAL MINING MACHINE Filed Nov. 4, 1922 @l fs. mgm.

' `INVENTOR- A TTORNEY.

Patented June 2,. 1931 UNITED STATES JOI-IN W. MCPHERSON, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, .ASSIGNOR T0 THE JEFFREY MAN UFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OI-IIOy COAL MINING MACHINE Application filed November 4, 1922. Serial No. 599,090.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in coal mining machines of the class in which each is provided with its own track wheels and is adapted to perform the cutting operation while supported upon said wheels.

In machines of the well known arcwall type the cutting mechanism comprises an elongated kerf cutter projecting radially from a turn table mounted upon a wheeled truck, and adapted to be swung, by the rotation of the turn table, to form an arcuate kerf in the mine wall in front of the machine. In Patent No. 1,353,054, to Levin, there is shown such a machine having a kerf cutter supported in horizontal planes offset from the planes of the turn table whereby the machine is adapted to form kerfs at the level of the mine floor. Machines of this type, as heretofore constructed, possess certain inherent defects which it is the object of this invention to overcome.

The especial object of this invention is to provide a machine of the class described adapted to form kerfs at the level of the mine floor extending across the end walls of narrow entries preserving the parallelism ofthe side walls.

The means by which I attain this object is fully set forth in the following specification reference being had to the accompanying drawings of which- Y Fig. 1, is a side elevation of one embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2, is a plan view of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 8, is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrams illustrating methods ofvoperating the machine.

Like numerals refer to similar parts in the several figures.

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates a main frame which is supported upon the track wheels 2 adapted to rest upon and travel along the rails 3 of the mine track. Mounted upon the main frame 1 is an electric motor 4 `which is connected through trains of suitable gearing with the wheels 2 whereby said wheels may be actuated to propel the machine along the track at a relatively high speed suitable to move the machine from one working place to another, or at a relatively low speed suitable to feed the cutting mechanism into the coal. Projecting upwardly from the main frame 1 are pedestals 5 containing vertically extending screw shafts 6 arranged to engage the brackets 7 attached to the supporting ring 8. The screw shafts 6 are connected by suitable gearing with the electric motor 4 and by the manipulation of suitable controlling devices may be caused to revolve in one direction to elevate the supporting ring 8 or in the opposite direction to move said supporting ring downwardly. As the transmission and controlling devices whereby the motor 4 is connected with the track wheel 3 and the screw shafts 6 form no part in the present invention, and as they are well understood in the art, further Vdescription and Villustration at this time is not thought to be required.

Mounted upon the supporting ring 8 is a turntable 9 adapted for rotation about a vertical axis concentric with said supporting ring. Beneath the turntable 9 is mounted an electric motor 10 'for the Vactuation of the cutting and feeding mechanism. The motor 10 is connected through suitable gearing to actuate the winding drum 11 upon which is windable the feed rope 12. The feed rope 12 is adapted to be carried around suitable guide sheaves 13 mounted upon the turntable, andto be attached to suitable abutments 14 attached to the supporting ring in such manner that when said rope 12 is wound upon the drum 11 the turntable 9 will be caused to rotate about itsv aXls. within the drum 11 yand controlled by the hand wheel 15 affords means to control the winding of the rope 12. Formed in the edge of the turntable 9 are a plurality of notches 16 adapted to be engaged by a bolt 17 to lock the turntable in any preferred position of angular adjustment. f

The motor 10 is also connected by suitable gearing to actuate the sprocket wheel 18 which is connected by the endless drive vFriction clutch mechanism mounted' tries it is apparent that the full depth` of theV QSO chain 19 with a similar sprocket wheel 20 fixed to the upper end of a vertical shaft 21. The shaft 21 is supported in journal bear ings 22 and 23 of the overhanging bracket 24, and to its lower end is fixed a suitable sprocket wheel arranged to engage and drive the cutter chain 25. The cutter chain 25 travels in guideways of the cutter arm 26 whichV is attached to a bracket 27 having bearingsv 28 and29 engaging the drive shaft 21 to support the cutter arm. Formed on the bearings 23 and 29 are arcuate flanges' to another under its own power. Upon entering the mine room the turntableis rotated to cause the cutter arm to'project at a right angle to the lines of the mine track from the right hand side of the machine. TheV machine is then advanced to a position in suitable proximityV to the coal face, the cutting mechanism is started, and the feed'-K ing mechanism 'manipulatedV to 'swing the cutter arm to cut a semicircular kerf in the coal body in front of the machine. By this operation' the width of theV mine room is maintained at twice the radial length 'of the cutter erm. Then cutting in, narrow enkerff can not be cut `by a simple swinging movement of the cutter arm. ln such case the turntable is rotated to turnthe cutter arm to'Y an angleless than a right angle, with its inner en d at the line of the right hand' rib, as. illustrated in Fig. li. The turntable is then locked, the cuttingy mechanism started, and the` machine advancedV by the tractive effort of the wheels. tofthrust the kerf cutter longitudinally into che coal. When the cutter arm has entered to its full effective depth, theg feedingl mechanism is manipulated to swing the cutterfarm to,- wards. the left to cut a kerf across the coal -face in front of the machine. Y Whenthe 'innerend of the cutter armi reaches the line of the left` hand rib, the turntable is locked in that position, and the machinetis backed away fromi the face to finish.` the cut.

llvhen, itis.v desired to form the kerf at the. level orfthe mine floor, the turntable is vertically adjusted to' placez the cutter arm at V the proper elevation before beginning cutting, andtheoperation proceeds as above described. It is; to be understood Vthat the mine track must terminate at a sufficient distance from the coal face to permit the supporting bracket 27 and the outer end of the cutter arm 26 to pass between the end of the track rails 3 and the coal face, while, at the same time, the track rails 3 extend sufficiently near to the coal face to support the machine when the cutter arm is fully projected under the coal. As heretofore constructed machines of this type have been ill/adaptedto, the formation of kerfs at the a level of the mine floor in narrow entries, as illustrated in Fig. 4, because the track rails obstruct the downward adjustment of the cutter arm. With my improved construction, however, the locking pin 33 may be removed to permit movement ofthe cutter arm about the axis of the shaft 21, and the turntable 9 rotated to a greater angle, causing the cutter arm to assume a `position outside the lines of the track rails substantially parallel with the mine wall as illustrated in Fig. 5. The locking pin 33 is then replaced in the appropriate aperture, the cutter arm adjusted to proximity with the mine iioor, and the machine advanced to force the cutter arm longitudinally into the coal. AfterV thecutter arm is under the coal, the turntable will be rotated to swing the cutter arm toward the left until its inner end reachesv the line of the left hand rib, whenv the locking pin 33 is withdrawn to al'low the'cutter armato turn'to la position parallel with the wall of the said bearing of said overhanging forked bracket for Supporting said kerii cutter, and means for securely fixing saidY kerf cutter in any one of a plurality; of different angular positions about said shaft.

, 2. In a mining machine, a truck,an overhanging bracket having a bearing mounted for transverse movement. acrossv theI front of said truck, a vertical shaft mountedy ill said bracket bea-ring in front of said truck, a horizontal kerf cutter having a. bracket provided with a forked bearing rotatably mounted upon said shaft and resting upon said bearing of saidjoverhanging. bracket for supporting said ker-f cutter, apertured iiangesprojecting from the bearings, and

a pinv adapted to be extendedi through regisr tering apertures of said. flanges to lock said kerf4 cuttery in various angular positions about, said shaft. l

3. In a mining machine, ai truck, an.; overhanging bracket mounted on said truck and ice depending in front thereof, a pair of vertically spaced bearings carried by the depending portion of said bracket, a shaft mounted in said bearings, a horizontal kerf cutter having a bracket with a pair of spaced bearings for mounting upon said shaft, the upper bearing of the kerf cutter bracket resting upon the upper bearing of said overhanging bracket, the lower cutter bar bearing being extended beneath the low-` er bracket bearing, apertured cooperating portions carried by the lower bearings of said brackets, and a pin adapted to be extended through registering apertures of said flanges to lock said kerf cutter in various angular positions about said shaft.

4. In a mining machine, a truck, an overhanging bracket mounted on said truck and depending in front thereof, a pair of vertically spaced bearings carried by the depending portion of said bracket and mounted for transverse movement across the front of said truck, a shaft mounted in said bearings, a horizontal kerf cutter having a bracket with a pair of spaced bearings for mounting upon said shaft, the upper bearing of the kerf cutter bracket resting upon the upper bearing of said overhanging bracket, the lower cutter bar bearing being extended beneath the lower bracket bearing, apertured cooperating portions carried by the lower bearings of said brackets, and a pin adapted to be extended through registering apertures of said flanges to lock said kerf cutter in any desired angular position about said shaft.

5. In a mining machine, a truck, an overhanging bracket mounted on said truck and depending in front thereof, a vertical shaft extending through said overhanging bracket, a horizontal kerf cutter having a bearing for mounting around the shaft beneath said bracket, said bearing of the kerf cutter and the lower portion of said overhanging bracket being provided with apertures adapted for registration, and a pin adapted to be extended through registering apertures to lock the kerf cutter in any desired angular position about said shaft.

6. In a mining machine, a truck, an overhanging bracket mounted on said truck and depending in front thereof, said bracket having upper and lower bearings, a vertical shaft extending through said bearings and below the lowermost bearings, a horizontal kerf cutter having upper and lower bearings mounted around said shaft, the upper kerf cutter bearing resting upon the upper bearing of the bracket and the lower kerf cutter bearing being disposed beneath the lower bracket bearing, said lower bracket bearing having an apertured extension overlapping the lower kerf cutter bearing, said lower kerf cutter bearing having a series of apertures for selective registration with the In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

JOHN W. MCPHERSON. 

